Trading stocks and shares for beginners

Trading stocks and shares for beginners investors taking their first steps towards learning the basics of stock trading should have access to multiple sources of quality education. Just like riding a bike, trial and error coupled with the ability to keep pressing forth will eventually lead to success. One great advantage of stock trading lies in the fact that the game trading stocks and shares for beginners lasts a lifetime. Investors have years to develop and hone their skills.

Strategies used twenty years ago are still utilized today. The game is always in full force. Open a stock broker account Find a good online stock broker and open an account.

Become familiarized with the layout and to take advantage of the free trading tools and research offered to clients only. Some brokers offer virtual trading which is beneficial because you can trade with play money see 9 below.

A great tool for comparing online brokers can be found at StockBrokers. Read books Books provide a wealth of information and are inexpensive compared to the costs of classes, seminars, and educational DVDs sold across the web.

Here on the site we have a full list of 20 great stock trading books for investors to consider. Read articles Articles are a fantastic resource for education. Our free Stock Education page here on StockTrader. Recommended websites for investment education are investopedia. Find a mentor A mentor could be a family member, a friend, a past or current professor, co-worker, or any individual that has a fundamental understanding of the stock market.

A good mentor is willing to answer questions, provide help, recommend useful resources, and keep spirits up when the market gets tough. All successful investors of the past and present have had mentors during their early days.

Forums can be another source for question and answer. Two recommendations include Elite Trader and Trade2Win. Just be careful of who you listen to. The vast majority of participants are not professional traders, let alone profitable traders. Heed advice from forums with a heavy dose of salt and do not, under any circumstance, follow trade recommendations. Study the greats Learning about the greatest investors of years past will provide perspective, inspiration, and appreciation for the game which is the stock market.

One of my favorite book series is the Market Wizards by Jack Schwager. Read and follow the market News sites such as Yahoo Finance and Google Finance serve as a great resource for new investors. For in depth coverage, look no further than the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. By monitoring trading stocks and shares for beginners markets each day and reading headline stories investors can expose themselves to trends, 3rd party analysis, not to mention economic concepts and general business.

Pulling quotes and observing fundamental data can also serve as another good source of exposure. Beware though, over time you may find that a lot of the investing shows on TV are more of a distraction and are overall full of junk recommendations. This is a natural evolution; you trading stocks and shares for beginners not alone!

Consider paid subscriptions Paying for research and analysis can be both educational and useful. Some investors may find watching or observing market professionals to be more beneficial than trying to apply newly learned lessons themselves. There are a slew of paid subscription sites available across the web, the key is in finding the right ones for you. View a list of the services I use use myself. Two well-respected services include Investors.

Go to seminars, take classes Trading stocks and shares for beginners can provide valuable insight into the overall market and specific investment types. Most seminars will focus on one specific aspect of the market and how the speaker has found success utilizing their own strategies over the years.

Examples include Dan Zanger and Mark Minervini. Not all seminars have be paid for either. Some seminars are provided free which can be a beneficial experience, just be conscious of the sales pitch that trading stocks and shares for beginners almost always come at the trading stocks and shares for beginners.

When it comes to classes, these are typically pricey, but like seminars, can also be very beneficial. Buy your first stock or practice trading through a simulator With your online broker account setup, the best way to get started it to simply take the plunge and make your first trade.

If trading with real capital is not possible initially, consider using a stock simulator for virtual trading. A variety of online brokers offer virtual trading for practicing. One of the most common mistakes traders make is to go all-in and try to score big with a full portfolio position out of the gate.

This is an often painful mistake and why many new investors suffer big losses early on. Proper portfolio allocation is extremely important. For more tips of wisdom, see my article, 60 Stock Tips for Investment Success. For the majority, trading will be losing proposition. Warren Buffett, the greatest investor of all-time, recommends individual investors simply passive index instead trading stocks and shares for beginners trying to beat the market trading on their own.

Interested to see what stocks Warren Buffett recommends for your portfolio? Sign up for our free market recaps Join over 22, other investors and receive our weekly posts via email using the subscribe box below or on the trading stocks and shares for beginners. I invite all new investors to make StockTrader. Read my page interactive course, The Interactive Guide to Technical Analysisand learn how to read stock charts.